


leave what i’m chasing

by distortionist



Series: io’s persona brainrot [2]
Category: Persona 5
Genre: Gen, Grieving, Hurt/Comfort, Metaverse (Persona 5), Spoilers for Vanilla P5
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-22
Updated: 2020-11-22
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:52:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 921
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27664985
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/distortionist/pseuds/distortionist
Summary: early steps in the healing process.
Relationships: Akechi Goro & Persona 5 Protagonist
Series: io’s persona brainrot [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2038486
Comments: 1
Kudos: 11





	leave what i’m chasing

**Author's Note:**

> this is very short and kinda silly but!! i was playing p5r and i’ve been primarily using principality and i was just thinking about like. the personas and their connection to each respective confidant.... i thought mayhaps akira would find some comfort in a persona that’s intrinsically linked w akechi 
> 
> this could be interpreted as akira subconsciously comforting himself, or as akechi reincarnated as principality... i was thinking of the first one while writing this but afterwards the second came to mind and i was like WOAH :O

Mementos is, no matter how one puts it, a place of pure nightmares. 

The collective unconscious— A place for intrusive thoughts, repressed memories, hidden fears, and shameful ideations to hide and fester; It’s a terrifying labyrinth with a life of its own, hiding humanity’s darkest feelings and desires.

Despite the uncomfortable aura and dangerous shadows, however, Akira finds himself taking refuge there more often than not nowadays. It’s an easy place to hide, to be completely and utterly alone aside from the real world.

It’s nice, sometimes. To just sit near the entrance of Mementos, all alone. It’s just quiet enough to let Akira relax from the constantly city noise, but not silent enough to let him drown too far in his own thoughts. 

Ever since Shido’s palace, Akira finds himself taking refuge in Mementos more and more. Some days, he finds himself forgetting that he needs to return to the real world; Needs to show up to school, needs go to his job at the flower shop, needs to help Ann with her Persona training, needs to help Haru out with her garden, needs to help Tae with her medicine, needs to help Yoshida with his speeches, needs to show up at Leblanc before dark so Sojiro doesn’t worry, needs to handle requests from the website, needs to reply to Mishima’s texts so he stops worrying, needs to help Chihaya, needs to request Kawakami from the maid service, needs to study, needs to ask Hifumi about some new Shogi strategies, needs to give Ohya information, needs to—

Well. It’s no wonder Akira keeps hiding away rather than facing the real world.

It was easier to face it all back in summer, when they were a team of five teens and a cat just doing what felt right. It was fun— Just a bunch of kids with a blurry vision of justice and rebellion. Eating snacks in the hideout, finding targets here and there in Mementos— All they really had to worry about was whether or not Makoto was going to kill them for their exam scores, or whether they had enough snacks to make it through the next meeting.

Now, though, Okumura is dead, the media has lost control, Shido has nearly had his way, and Akechi, well—

No one knows where Akechi is, but the most logical assumption isn’t one Akira likes to think about. 

Akira sighs, drawing his knees to his chest. Mementos is too quiet today. There isn’t enough sound to fill in the void in his mind right now— But he supposes it’s better than Yongen, where there’s too much sound all at once, filling the void in all the wrong ways and leaving him burnt out and irritable.

If he’s being honest, tonight is just one of those nights where everything feels wrong for no real reason in particular. Thoughts of the engine room won’t leave him alone, despite everything he’s done to keep them away.

If he’d moved just one second faster, just thought a little bit harder, coaxed Akechi a little more— 

It’s useless to keep thinking about it. Akira knows this. The past can’t be undone, no matter how long he dwells on it or how much he regrets it. But no matter how useless he knows it is, he can’t stop letting it eat him whole. 

Akira only finally snaps out of his thoughts when he feels a familiar presence beside him. He glances up, turning his head to see Principality standing beside him. They hold their staff and stare forward idly, as if waiting for something.

“I don’t remember calling you out,” Akira mumbles. “What are you doing?”

Principality glances down at Akira with a knowing look. They don’t say anything, but they don’t have to— They’re a part of Akira. He knows exactly what they’re trying to tell them. 

“Yeah. I know.” Akira lets out a frustrated sigh. “The past is in the past. Akechi’s dead. I need to get over it. I know.”

Principality once again says nothing. Instead, they gracefully move to sit in front of Akira, shooting him a somewhat concerned look. Akira knows that they mean well, that they’re trying to help. But he isn’t quite sure how to accept that help just yet. 

“Justice,” Akira says numbly, thinking back to Principality’s arcana alignment. “Just like Akechi.”

Principality nods, and— It’s comforting, in a way. Like there’s a piece of Akechi forged in Principality. One small, tiny little piece of Akechi that hasn’t left; One that Akira can hold onto for as long he needs until he’s able to finally let go.

Akira doesn’t even realize he’s crying until Principality leans forward, wiping his tears away. 

“Thanks.” Akira sniffles, smiling faintly. Principality nods, leaning even closer to wrap Akira up in a warm embrace. Their wings and arms wrap around Akira, shielding him from all the horrors he’d seen in the past few months, and it’s— it’s nice. It’s really nice. 

After a long few minutes, Principality lets go. They nod towards the door of Mementos, silently reminding Akira to head home before it gets too late. Akira nods, sniffling once more.

“Yeah. Thanks.” Without another word, Principality returns to Akira’s mask. He takes that as his cue to leave, reluctantly returning to the real world.

When he returns, he finds himself in his bedroom. The shop below is silent, presumably closed by now, and Morgana is quietly sleeping on Akira’s makeshift bed. 

Things will probably never be truly normal again. But Akira can try.


End file.
